// I DREAM OF CARING ROBOTS //

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1 TU/e Bachelor College // I DREAM OF CARING ROBOTS // Bachelor College PSYCHOLOGY & TECHNOLOGY* * This major is formally part of the Innovation Sciences Bachelor s program

2 // research at the university or for a company like Philips. // I DREAM OF CARING ROBOTS // Joris van Iersel, Student At school I was always very curious. What I really found exciting was the interaction between people, and between people and technology. That s still true today. Take computer gaming: why is it so addictive? And can we make use of that in learning? Or: how can we use robot technology in care? How can we use light to improve the way people perform? How are 3D images made, and how can we optimize the experience they offer? How can we make video communication more enjoyable? During my studies I ve learned that technology has a big influence on our behavior and decision-making. I have a lot of admiration for researchers who can approach problems systematically. And if I can, I d like to make a contribution later to TU/e BACHELOR COLLEGE Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) clusters its Bachelor study programs in the Bachelor College. As a student of the TU/e Bachelor College you have the scope to shape your study on the basis of your interests and ambitions. The Bachelor is largely made up of your major, that field in which you later intend to work as an engineer. It is the foundation of your study program. This folder tells you more about the contents of the Psychology & Technology major in relation to the Bachelor study so that you can find out if Psychology & Technology appeals to you. THIS IS PSYCHOLOGY & TECHNOLOGY The games you play, the mobile phone you use to send text messages, the website where you do your online shopping. Technology is all around us, and forms an important part of our lives. Too important to just leave it to technologists. Because if you want to make technology a good match for what users want, you need to know a lot about technology but also about people. If you know how people think, act, feel, observe and take decisions, you can use that knowledge to understand how technology and people work together. With your knowledge of both psychology and technology you can come up with new applications that are well matched to users needs and wishes. THE MAJOR THAT COMBINES PSYCHOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY In Psychology & Technology you learn how technology influences people, and how you can use your knowledge of psychology to let people use technology as effectively as possible. But you also learn how you can use psychology to design totally new technology applications such as motivational rehabilitation technology, social robots or brain-computer interfaces. DEGREE The Psychology & Technology major is formally part of the Innovation Sciences Bachelor s program. After completing this major you ll receive the diploma in the Innovation Sciences Bachelor s program with a specialization in Psychology & Technology, and the degree of Bachelor of Science in Innovation Sciences. TYPICAL PSYCHOLOGY & TECHNOLOGY IN EINDHOVEN This major is unique because of the combination of psychology and technology courses. By staying focused on the user s wishes, expectations, abilities and limitations while you re designing technology applications, you can make complex technologies more efficient and user-friendly. Students rate the Bachelor s program highly for its interesting courses, the small scale, the breadth of the program, its easy accessibility and good atmosphere. Those are some of the reasons why the Innovation Sciences Bachelor was again rated as best program in the Keuzegids Universiteiten 2013 (Guide to Choosing a University 2013). A STUDY FOR YOU? Why do people feel so attached to their mobile phones? How can you use games to get to know someone better, or to help their rehabilitation? Can a robot really have human emotions, just like we do? Can people really touch each other in virtual reality? How do people think and take decisions? Answering questions like these demands knowledge of both technology and psychology. If you find these questions interesting, Psychology & Technology is the right major for you!

3 THE BACHELOR STUDY PROGRAM Major Half of the three-year Bachelor s program is made up by your major, which forms the basis of your study program. If you choose the Psychology & Technology major, you ll combine courses in psychology and technology subjects. The varied teaching forms include lectures and seminars, working in project groups and working independently on assignments. The practical assignments are a constant theme of your major. You ll work together with fellow students on a number of design-based learning assignments. Basic subjects In addition to your major, you follow a number of basic subjects like mathematics and physics, and you learn engineering design. Professional skills like cooperation and organization become part of your character. These subjects give you the solid foundation you need as an engineer. Electives A quarter of the Bachelor s program consists of elective courses that you can choose yourself. These allow you to change the emphasis in your program. You can opt to broaden your knowledge by following courses in a different specialization, or alternatively you can gain more in-depth knowledge in your own specialization. For example in the Psychology & Technology major you can choose elective courses in Gaming, Light and Sound, Robotics, Healthcare, Sustainability, Smart Mobility and Sports Technology. These electives are given in collaboration with other TU/e programs. USE subjects Finally, you choose USE subjects. USE stands for User, Society and Enterprise. These subjects show how technology always operates in a broader context. Engineers develop technology for users to contribute to solutions for societal problems and to create business opportunities for industry. TECHNOLOGY HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON OUR BEHAVIOR AND DECISION-MAKING

4 THE FIRST YEAR IN CONCRETE TERMS After your first year you ll follow technology courses as well as psychology subjects. The technology courses are in ICT, Built Environment or Robotics, and at the start of your major you can choose which option you prefer. On average you ll spend a third of your time on technology subjects, a third on psychology subjects and a third on research methods and practical assignments. INTENSIVE COACHING Experienced TU/e coaches offer you personalized advice from the start to the finish of your study, beginning during your enrollment when you and your coach look at the major that best suits you and the best ways of filling in your electives. In this way you shape your study program in line with the interests and ambitions you have. And should you realize during the first year that a different major suits you better, then you and your coach look at how you might be able to switch major during the year. In addition to a personal coach, you also get help from a study counselor and senior students who mentor groups of first-year students of which you are a member. During your initial period of study, they can help show you the ropes. // and the context. I really like this integrated approach to problems. Technology can be a ON TO A MASTER DEGREE You can go directly from the Psychology & Technology major to the TU/e Master s program in Human-Technology Interaction. Depending on your choice of elective courses, you can also transition to other Master s programs at TU/e or other universities. Your coach will help you to choose the right courses matching your own interests and the Master s program you want to follow. Alumnus, Sander Molenaar Human-Technology Interaction* doesn t just look at technology, but focuses on the user solution, but often you ll find the real solution somewhere else for example in the way information is provided to users. During my graduation project at Philips I investigated the service process for monitors. In fact many of the returned monitors turned out to be working perfectly well. So I looked at the interaction between Philips, the customer and other involved parties. My research actually led to changes being made in the service process. Now I m working as senior strategy advisor at Enexis, and I m leading the policy implementation on Corporate Social Responsibility. I m making sure that Enexis takes its social responsibilities seriously! *Master s program with transition from Psychology & Technology

5 WHAT NEXT AFTER GRADUATION? You can go directly from the Psychology & Technology major to the TU/e Master s program in Human-Technology Interaction or you could work as a project leader, quality manager, Research & Development project coordinator or Interaction Designer. You might also work in research at companies like Philips, Essent and DAF, at institutions such as TNO or in government. TU/e: a good choice! TECHNOLOGY CAN BE A SOLUTION BUT OFTEN YOU LL FIND THE SOLUTION SOMEWHERE ELSE - You develop your personal talent - You put together your own study - You get professional coaching - You work on societal challenges - Excellent job prospects when you graduate - You study in the high-tech Brainport Eindhoven Region situated in the Netherlands, at the technological heart of Europe

6 Major - Psychology & Technology Duration of studies - 3 years Language of communication - English (the technology courses of the Built Environment option and some electives are given in Dutch) Admission requirements for international students See our website for the admission requirements for international students: The deadline for applications is May 1. Curriculum 1st year 6 major courses: - Introduction in Psychology & Technoloy - App Programming - Social Psychology and Consumer Behavior - Research Methods - Brain, Body and Behavior - Technical Course (depending on which option you choose: ICT, Robotics or Built Environment) 4 basic courses: - Mathematics - Physics - Modeling - Introduction to User, Society and Enterprise 2 elective courses MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PSYCHOLOGY & TECHNOLOGY Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences Student Information Psychology & Technology tel.: +31 (0) voorlichting.pt@tue.nl MORE INFORMATION ABOUT TU/e Education and Student Service Center telephone: +31 (0) studeren@tue.nl To request/download brochures: - General information brochure for the Bachelor College - Information folders per Bachelor study INFORMATION DAYS Friday 18 and Saturday 19 October 2013 Friday 10 and Saturday 11 January 2014 Friday 14 and Saturday 15 March 2014 More information and registration: No rights may be derived from this publication. Published September 2013